Oct. 29, 2006

Box Score

New Haven, CT - The #3 seeded Adelphi University women's soccer team knocked off top-seed the University of Bridgeport, 5-4, in penalty kicks to win the East Coast Conference Women's Soccer Championship.The Panthers won 5-4 in a penalty kick shootout, after both team played through regulation and two overtime periods to a 1-1 draw on Sunday afternoon on the campus of Albertus Magnus College.

Sophomore Erin Klimkowski (Westbury, NY) scored at the 12:27 mark on a long cross from the right corner flag off the foot of freshman Caitlin Morrison (Beacon, NY) to put Adelphi ahead 1-0.

The game would remain in the Panthers favor until Bridgeport (12-5-2) responded in the final two minutes of the contest. All-ECC first team Therese Petersson (Lulea, Sweden) placed a shot past goalkeeper Christine Conway (Rockville Centre, NY) on an assist from freshman defender Emma Woolley (Sheffield, England), eventually sending the game into overtime. Shots between the two schools were even at 21 apiece, while Bridgeport out corner kicked the Panthers 7-3. Goalkeeper Amanda Roche (Dartmouth, Nova Scotia) made 13 saves for UB, while Conway made 10 stops in goal for Adelphi.

Neither team was able to convert in the two extra frames, and the game officially ended in a 1-1 draw. Per NCAA rules the game was to be decided by a penalty kick shootout.

Bridgeport's Sofia Hoflin missed on the first kick as both teams each made their next four. Tied at 4-4, senior Tara Grodotzke found the back of the net on the Panthers fifth try to seal the victory.

This is the second conference championship for the Panthers in three years and the first under the newly re-named East Coast Conference. Adelphi also won the inaugural league crown in 2004 before falling in the first round in 2005.

For her impressive play throughout the entire ECC women's soccer tournament, Adelphi's senior midfielder Catherine Wyndham (Lynbrook, NY) was named ECC Women's Soccer Championship MVP. Wyndham converted on both her penalty kick shootout opportunities in the tournament, while playing exceptional defense in the two-day affair.

With the win, the Panthers (12-1-6) are in a good position to earn a NCAA tournament bid and will wait to see if there name is selected during the Monday afternoon selection call.